Barbie’s Ken turns 50, and he’s hotter than ever (Palm Beach Post)

Ken’s always been kind of a loser, with his lame outfits, bad hair, and life in the shadows of his fabulous ladyfriend. The Palm Beach Post calls him the “Rodney Dangerfield of 11 1/2 –inch dolls.”

But as Barbie’s Ken celebrates his 50th birthday Friday, there’s no paunchy middle-age issues here. Instead, the once square doll is undergoing a renaissance. He was a breakout star in “Toy Story 3” and is the inspiration for the reality show, “Genuine Ken: The Search for the Great American Boyfriend.”

His fashionable appearance in Toy Story 3 – with tiny shorts, open shirt, blue ascot – was a wink at long-running rumors about his sexuality.

So apparently was Mattel’s new “Sweet Talkin’ Ken,” looking interesting in boots, dark-wash jeans and tight T emblazoned with pink heart. There’s also a new “Shaving Ken” doll, for anyone who likes taking off that five o’clock beard off their man.